Earlier this week, I posted of the possibility of Martin Bain returning to Ibrox as Chief Executive.
Shocking as it is, the events that have led up to this situation where Rangers Chairman Craig Whyte is now Persona Non Grata amongst the Rangers support are remarkable.
While more revelations about Whyte’s tenure are breaking each day as the Administrators unravel a custodianship which is surely doomed, the drip feed of damning evidence about Whyte is intriguing.
The BBC, as long term adversary of the club, didn’t take kindly in to being forced to apologise to the club for inappropriate editing of an Ally McCoist interview.
It appeared that they licked their wounds and decided to make it personal on Whyte.
When Clydebank based Celtic supporter Mark Daly of the BBC presented a hatchet job on Whyte on the Panorama programme, there were a number of allegations that mirrored those on the now infamous Rangers Tax Blog, with a couple of extra ones thrown in for measure.
Whyte threatened to sue.
He didn’t.
It spoke volumes.
The blog continued to publish allegations almost on a daily basis. Of course, it had been rubbished by Whyte, but carried on regardless.
That also spoke volumes.
It began to become apparent that the blog had access to, or was being passed information from inside the club. Whether first hand, second hand or even third hand, it appeared to be coming from inside the club, and it’s final destination known by the first hand leak.
Interestingly, around the same time as Martin Bain was meeting the man alleged to be part of Paul Murray’s consortium, Douglas Park, a post appeared on Rangers fan forum by a senior poster and former Board member of an influential Rangers Supporters group, stating that “All Rangers fans should read the Rangers Tax Case blog, it’s true”.
Now how exactly this individual would know this is up for debate, but it certainly appears that this was more than an educated guess, and that said influential Rangers fan had been advised of this by a contact very close to the club.
The news of the Ticketus deal, and questions over HMRC issues facing the club were broken in the Daily Record by James Traynor on Jan 31, with information and quotes supplied by Paul Murray.
It seemed then that the gloves were off, and as more allegations and revelations have appeared in the Record, and on the BBC it has looked more and more like a sustained campaign by Murray and Alastair Johnston to stage what amounts to a hostile takeover.
While Whyte isn’t exactly covering himself in glory, and has almost certainly lied to various journalists and fan groups on the subject of Administration, those lining up to oust him are curiously in harmony with the Rangers haters at the BBC, The Daily Record and the Rangers Tax Case blog.
Have they been dancing with the devil, and sanctioned a leak of information to these individuals and organisations hell bent on damaging the club? I sincerely hope not
With some influential Rangers supporters’ groups challenging Whyte strongly over the last few weeks, and backing Murray’s “Blue Knights” proposed consortium, as the club has now dipped in to Administration, there are questions over how long this hostile takeover has been planned, who has been involved, and who, with links to the Trust or Murray, has been feeding the media.
This situation has been good for the Rangers Supporters Trust. As it stands, I understand they are processing hundreds of new memberships, at a tenner a pop. More on this later in the week
While the numerous revelations about Whyte are big news in Scotland, the suspicion that RTC, and Phil Mac Giolla Bhain are picking these stories up first in some cases casts a huge shadow over the prospect of Bain or Murray returning, and of the Trust’s enthusiastic backing of Paul Murray.
Murray of course was a Non Executive Director of Rangers during the period that many of Rangers financial issues were present. His official PR people, and unofficial supporters on FF, RM and VGB argue that Murray and Johnston were crucial in reducing the club’s debt to Lloyds from £32M to £18M, when the reality is that revenue from successful cup runs in Scotland and in European competition were the largest factors, with Lloyds absolutely strangling the club, and key players being sold.
The best summary of Murray’s time at the club comes from another Rangers hating site, Celtic Quick News, which pointed out several responsibilities of Murray’s former role at Ibrox, and how he failed to carry them out.
When long time Whyte defender David Leggat did a complete about turn on Whyte, it rang alarm bells with many bears who know him to have reliable contacts.
It raises the belief in long term supporters of Whyte that they have indeed been duped, but leaves a bad taste in the mouth that the likely replacements may well comprise of individuals who not only were present through Rangers decline, but actively toppled the current custodian by using bigoted anti Rangers activists in the process
Of course, leaks from within the club may be so common that there is more than one leak, and that there is absolutely no connection between the RTC, The Record, the BBC and any of those currently jostling for power at Ibrox.
I sincerely hope that this is the case, and that those leaking sensitive information from the club to outsiders are first to leave the club when the Administration task is complete.
Bill.
30/10/12 NB: I should clarify that these articles are being added for reference purposes. I know and don't need reminded that the situation at Rangers has completely changed.
I should also clarify that Daly is not Clydebank based, but Clydebank raised.
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